Pre-production for Bloomberg shoot

I have to go pick up some fake cockroaches for tonight's shoot.

They may not have been the oddest words I've ever uttered to my boss - though certainly it makes the top ten list - and her only request was that I not show the roaches to her since she hates roaches.

Now how did I up looking for roaches this fine Tuesday? Let's back up 24 hours.

plan A: Film in Central Park, two actors, branded programming for Bloomberg Sports - specifically the football product - and a punchline involving two pigeons.

Twenty four hours later.

plan B: Film in an apartment, one of the actors replaced because of a flu, branded programming for Bloomberg Sports - specifically the football product - and a punchline involving cockroaches.

At least it's still branded programming.

A quick aside on the actor replacement: I didn't even blink. I once had an actor get arrested at 2 AM of the morning of the first day of a film I directed called What Men Talk About. By the end of the film shoot I had him staying at my apartment so I'd know he would be on time for shooting. Having the flu - hey, stay at home better you're sick than I am.

Back to plan A & plan B.

Mother Nature doesn't really care about my production schedule - it's pretty much the first rule of filmmaking. She proved it by giving it an 80% chance of pouring rain. Fair enough. You know the second rule of filmmaking? Filmmaking is problem solving. plan B is solving the problem.

Well almost...there is always one last problem . A corporate approved script requires a multi-layered approval process. Pigeons, while commonly thought of as rats-with-wings is much more kid friendly than bugs that can survive a nuclear strike.

Thankfully it was only two people in this case and the reactions: "Any other animal possibilities?" and one very bemused look.

Ergo. I picked up my fake cockroaches for tonight's shoot.

Yep. This is my job sometimes.

Wayne
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